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In the grand scheme of MOBAs, Ironclad’s Sins of a Dark Age is quite the bold thing. AI directors, random rule-rewriting quests, and other RPG-influenced, flow-shattering shenanigans? This certainly isn’t DOTA 2.5 or Assortment of Apologues, and it’s not trying to be. But at one point, it was doing its damndest to be so much more. Unfortunately, the RTS-style base-building and commanding didn’t pan out, and Ironclad scratched them almost entirely. But according to studio director and co-owner Blair Fraser, his MOBA’s retching rejection of all things RTS is indicative of much larger problems for both genres. One, he argues, is on its death bed, and the other could be following suit if it doesn’t start blazing new trails.

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The boys at RPS needed somebody who knew about rebellions for this review, so they called me in because I am Northern Irish and I once shot a gun. I thought, “This will be easy because it is a game about rebellion. There is even ‘rebellion’ in the title.” And then I discovered it was a game about SPACE rebellion, which is completely outside of my knowledge because I have not been into space even once. I thought, “I am in trouble now because I am not good at being in space.” I am currently playing a pen and paper role-playing campaign set in space. The character I rolled is so traumatised by life in space that every time there is a “stressful situation” he has to roll to see how he reacts. If I roll a one, I have to go through a psychotic breakdown.

I am not good at being in space. And here’s wot i think of Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion.(more…)

And it launches a volley of nuclear laser bombs, if the trailer below is anything to go by. I haven’t had time to get my hands on Rebellion yet, but I certainly have the intention to play it right up. I was one of the many who chewed through hours of Sins of a Solar Empire, and this expandalone has just about enough gravity to bring me back into orbit around its real-time space-conflict happenings. Anyone else on course for a rendezvous with this one?

Fancy lookin’ launch trailer below.(more…)

It was with profuse apologies that I entered the demo room for Sins Of A Dark Age. “No, I haven’t, I’m sorry,” I said meekly when asked if I’ve played Sins Of A Solar Empire. Am I familiar with RTS games then? “Er, sorry, no,” with more looking at my shoes. DOTA? “Barely… Look, I’m the wrong person for this, okay. But see: I’m good at taking information and writing it in an entertaining fashion.” But here’s the thing – by the end of my time watching the game being played, I rather wanted a go.

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Ironclad announced Sins of a Dark Age today, the developer's follow-up to the epic space armada strategy title Sins of a Solar Empire. The new game will be a free-to-play title, blending classic real-time strategy with the MOBA genre (League of Legends, DOTA 2).

Players work in teams, which consist of one commander and up to four heroes, who can face off against other players or AI. The commander is responsible for building the base, directing units and positioning defenses. The commander can also call upon "Realm Powers" to turn the tide of battle. Heroes have their own set of powers, but are tasked with assisting the commander's units and capturing resources.

More details should shake out at the Game Developers Conference in two weeks. The game will begin its beta this summer.

The full Sins of a Solar Empire experience, known as Trinity, is on sale this weekend through Impulse. The game is 33% off, bringing the total asking price to around $21 in United States, Earth credits. Trinity includes the original Sins of a Solar Empire, along with micro-expansion packs Entrenchment and Diplomacy.

It should be noted that Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion, which is described as a "full-fledged expansion" to the series, will be available later this year. Brian Clair, director of publishing for Stardock, told us in early March that Rebellion will build upon the gameplay introduced in the original Sins and its micro-expansions. You'll have to make the strategic decision whether to grab Trinity now or save the credits to go toward a fuller cargo bay (at, likely, a higher cost) later.

Stardock might have broken a few heawrts with the whole Elemental launch fiasco (for which they recently offered a remarkably earnest mea culpa), but it’s clear they’re still well aware what’s important. Specifically, an epic comeback for Sins of a Solar Empire, the space strategy game that got RPS’s hive-heart all a-flutter back in 2007. It is to return, in the form of standalone expansion pack Rebellion. Immediately standing out in the list of planned features is “New Titan-class ships: Massive warships for each race that dwarf capital ships, these deadly new monsters are capable of wiping out entire enemy fleets single-handedly.”

Massive. Dwarf. Deadly. Monsters. Single-handedly. These are all mighty promising words. These, truly, are words of space war. (more…)

#impressions Remember the time you first tried a PC gaming mouse mat? Not a mouse pad, a mouse mat. I remember it like it was half an hour ago. I tried one that was sandblasted for elite PC gamers. More »

A true rarity of the Neo Geo library, made available to the masses.